News Gossip 24

Chennai: India A, who won the toss and batted first on a strike-friendly pitch, scored 284 runs and then threw out New Zealand A for 178 runs. In India’s win, captain Sanju Samson (54), Shardul Thakur (51) and Tilak Verma (50) scored half a century while Raj Bawa took four wickets. Raj Angad Bawa was the hero of India’s title win in the Under-19 World Cup. Left arm wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 29) and Rahul Chahar (2 for 39) also bowled sharply. The visiting team was all-out in 38.3 overs.

Wicket-keeper batsman Dean Cleaver scored 83 runs for New Zealand, but no other batsman apart from him could even make the 30 run. Michael Rippon was the second most successful batsman on the team by scoring 29 points. New Zealand A lost the last five wickets and added just 22 runs.

After winning the toss, India started well by adding 55 runs for the first wicket of Abhimanyu Easwaran (39) and Rahul Tripathi (18). Matthew Fischer (2 for 61) broke this partnership by letting Easwaran catch the cleaver. Joe Walker (1 for 36) previously took a Tripathi leg when India A scored two wickets for 65 runs.

Captain Samson and Tilak Verma teamed up for 99 runs for the third wicket. However, when they both put the team in a strong position, Rachin Ravindra (1 for 37) sent Verma to the pavilion. He dealt 62 balls and hit one four and three sixes.

Sreekar Bharat also became Fischer’s second victim after scoring just nine points, while Samson, after completing his half-century, was also half ahead of Jacob Duffy’s delivery (2 for 45), pushing the team’s score to 197 for five came. Samson faced 68 balls and hit a four and two sixes.

Bawa failed with the bat and scored just four runs and was caught by Walker on Duffy. At this point, it looked like the Indian team would not be able to give New Zealand A a big goal, but Rishi Dhawan (34) and Shardul (51 runs in 33 balls, four fours, three sixes) brought the team to a strong score.

In chasing for goal, New Zealand A started well with the pair of Cleaver and Chad Bowes (20) adding 52 runs for the first wicket. Chahar broke the partnership by letting Bowes catch at the hands of Easwaran, after which the New Zealand team lost wickets at regular intervals and the team never seemed to get close to the goal.

Bawa ended New Zealand A’s innings by sending the last two batsmen Duffy (01) and Fischer (00) out of the field within three balls after the sacking of Mark Chapman (11), Rippon (29). India A had also previously won the series 1-0 in three unofficial Tests.